Operating mechanism for electric controllers



Feb. 17. 1925.

H. PETERSEN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC CONTROLLERS Filed Nov. 20, 1922 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY specification;

' ositions with" 'certainofthe parts sh trating assembly thereofin a difierent rela- -tion.

Patented Feb. 17, 1 925. I

PETERSEN, OF HILWAUKEE,..WISCONSIN,. ASSIGNOR TO THE'CUTLEB-mm MFG. 00.,101 MILWAUKEE, wIsooNsm;

a .conroaarron or wrsconsm.

' ormrme mncrmms r r011 Etficrnro communes.

Application filed November 20, 1922. Serial Ro. 602,255.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that-I, HANS PETERSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and Sta-teof lVisconsin', have invented new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanisms for Electric'Controllers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,z.reference bein had to the accompanyin'g drawing,form1ng a part of this This invention relates to improvements in 'operating'mechanisms for electric controllers and while not limitedthereto is particularly applicable to theatre dimmers.

In dimmer installations the-space conditions sometimes render it"necessary-to arran the dimmer plates indifferent angular respect to their operating evers. "Heretofore itha's been customary to design theindividual o rating leversto suit the-arrangement of til: dimmer plates but this is objectionable from a manufacturting standpoint due to the large number of different types of levers usually required.

The present invention has among its ob- Another object is to provide an 0 rating lever of the aforesaid character conslsting of simple and rugged parts which can be readily manufactured and installed.

- Various other objects and advantages of ing levers embodying the invention associated therewith.

-Figure 2 is a detail side elevational view 'ofone of the-operating levers; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3.-3 of Fig.2; and 9 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional'view of 1 the same illustrates Referring to Fig.

wherein three rows of a dimmer installation dimmer plates are mounted one above the other or in other words what is commonly known as a 3-high dimmer installation. The dimmer plates illustrated are of a well own in Fig. 3 illus-' known type comprisinga rheostat plate 1- having-a pivoted arm 2 arranged to sweep over a series of contacts 3 connected to the resistance'carriedby plate 1. Arms 2 of the various dimmer plates each have a. central pinion 4 fixed thereto meshing with a rack 5, the several :racks being connected to individual operating levers 6 mounted upona shaft 7 which is usually rotatably mounted in suitable bearingspIn' such installations the shaft 7 usually has a master operating lever 8 fixed thereto and each of the operating levers6 is usually provided with means for releasably locking the same to'said shaft, When the operating levers 6 are locked to the shaft 7 the same are usually arranged in' like angular positions with respect thereto and it is thus apparent that in installations of the aforesaid'character it is necessary, 'in; order to obtain the proper throw of the various racks, that the pivot "points of'the latter be arranged in different angular positions with respect to the operating levers. To provide for'such variations in the-an- I "gular relation of" thepivot points of jects to provide an operatinglever consist 'm'g ofstandard parts which can be rela-' tively adjusted'to suit the particular arrangement of the dimmer plates. I

the racks with respect totheir various operating levers each of said operating levers is made up of relativelv adjustable arms, the construction of which is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown" in these figures each ofthe operating levers 6 includes an arm 9 to be rotatably mounted on shaft 7 anda pair of spaced arms 10 ar-' ranged on opposite sides thereof and adjustable with'respect thereto. As shown in 3 arm 9'is provided with spaced side a-rms'11'-11,'said arms'being connected at its lower end drilled to receive a pivot pin 16. The hub portion of each of the arms '10 is split on the upper side thereof and a pair ofv lugs 17' and 18 is provided for receiving a clamping screw 19 the latter being threaded into lug 18. i

a 10 are arranged in opposed relation their upper ends by'a portion 12 and intern thereof. a

the portion 14 and the pivot pin 16 is supported between the free ends thereof. As shown in Figfi3 rack 5 is" held in ;a central positionwith respect to arms 10 by collars 20-20 located on opposite sides thereof but it shouldbe noted that rack 5 can be inou nt; ed adjacenteither of the armslOby 1nount= ing the same so that both of the collars 20I20 are'lo cated on one side'thereof as shown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoi in different angular positions with respect ftoarm-9and for adjusting the racks5'axia-1ly with respect to 1131119. Thus ininstallat'ions such as'shown in Fig. l-theindividual ,op-

erating' levers-6 canbeadjustedto suit the angular position of the rheostats with re-' spect to their individual 1 operating levers while .thevpositionof the racks-can also-be adjusted axiallyto prevent interference Ijfdesiredan be bolted or; otherwise secured tofithefree end of arm;9- 'but as before stated it is usually necessary to provide means for releasably locking the-various arms to the:- shaftfl. In. {such ,insta1lations the operating handle '21 has abolti 22 fixed thereto which is slidablyjmounted in openings inthe connejctingporw tions 12; and 13 and is biased downwardly by a spring 23 located between the connecting 7 portion 12 and. a collar 24 1 fixed; to

said bolt; Theylowerend of bolt-22 is adapted to engage a recess 25in a collar 26 said collar being larrangedbetweenthe. hub portlOIlSlih and being 'providedwith set screws 27 for securing the same-against rotation a:

on shaft 7 Collar 26thus serves to prevent axial'movement oflever 9 on shaft 7 jand when-the;bolt 22 isin engagement with recess 25 said lever is locked in a given angular position with respect to saidishaft. Bolt 22 is movable outwardly against the action. of s ring 23 to provide for release cof lever 9 from said shaft and tomaintain said bolt 4 A rout of loekingengagement'withrecess-25 the same is provided with a pro] ecting pin; 28 adapted upon rotationof operat ng lever 21 to ride. upwardly over a cam surface 29 formed ontheupperend-of lever 9.

a While the above: described operating lever has been shown in connectionwith a.- dimmer installation it, is. apparent that use of the same 7 is not 9 limited thereto, should be' noted that other typesof operating: connections can be used between the: le-

" ver and the device to'be controlled;

' What I claimas new,a nd desire. to secure by Letters Patent is; v1. A rheostat; o

o'rtionv located; at one end i ng it is apparent that provision isgmade forclampingthe arms 10 H Further it 7 W 7 er ating element includ- H 3 'ing a plurality of arms oneflof said arms having a hub thereof and hav ng an operating handle associated with the oppos'itegend thereof and,

another of said arms being rotatably mounted; on saidhub portion, andmeans for fixing said-armsin difierent: angular positions with respect to each other. i

2, A rheostat operating element including a plurality "of relatively "adjustable "arms one of said arms havi'ng'a hub por-v tion at one end thereof and having anoperatlng, handle associated with the opposite end thereof and another of said arms being bored to receive the hub portion of said former arm and means for clamping said latter arm in different-angular positions with respect" to said former rarm. 1 1

sociated' with said latter arms for, clamping the sameto said hub-portions win different angular positionstwith respect to said former arm; 1

4;. Thecombination ia rheostat of an I 7 operating element therefor; located; to one sidethereof a supporting shaft forsaid ele- .ment, saidelement including {an armhaving .spacedf hub portions bored ,to'- receive I said ,shaft and anothergarm adapted to be fixedto u'said former arm in diiferentaangular posi-' tions with respect thereto and a collar fixed to .said shaft and arranged between "said said formerarm on said shaft]:

an operating element therefor located to one side thereof; a supporting shaft. for said element/,1 said elementincluding rela-- tively-adjustable arms 'oneof sai'darms having an operating handle associated therewith and being rotatzibly mounted on said shaft and; another of saidarms being connected tosaid-rheos'tat and being adapted tobe fixed to said former arm=in'apos1- tion to suit the angular; position of said o-rheost at withrespect to said shaftci V Ina dimmerinstallation inj combinationza plurality of 'rheos'tats having: their axes'arran'ged in a parallel relation,':a sup- I porting shaft located to} one sideof said rheostats and individual operating; elements I for said rheostats mounted on said shaft,

said operating elementsbeingof. like construction and each: including an operating rotatably mounted on said shaft and another arm, operatively connected to'its respective rheostat and adjustable spect to-said former arm.

, ".7. :The combination with .a of rheostats having: their :axes in aparallel planes, a supporting shaft; arrange to one sideofsaid rheostatsand individual'operhub portions to prevent axial movement {of s trte combination with arheostatwof with :re- 7 ating elements for said rheostats rotatably mounted on said shaft, saidoperating elements being of like construction and each being provided with an operating arm having means associated therewith for locking the same to said shaft in a given angular position and a second arm adapted to be locked to said former arm in a position to arm rotatab y mounted on said shaft and adapted to be fixed to said former arm in different angular positions with respect thereto.

9. The combination'with a rheostat, of an operating element therefor located to one side thereof a supporting shaft for said element, said element including an arm having' s aced hub portions bored to receive said s aft and another arm adapted to be fixed to said. former arm in any one .of a

plurality of angular positions with respect thereto, a collar fixed to said shaft and arranged between the hub portions of said former arm to prevent axial ,movement thereof on said shaft, said collar having a recess in the periphery thereof and locking means associated with said former arm including a releasable art adapted to engage the recess in said col ar to lock said former arm against rotation with respect to said shaft.

10. The combination with a rheostat of an operating element therefor located to one side thereof a supporting shaft for said element, said 7 element including an arm mounted on said'shaft and a air of arms located on opposite sides of sai former arm and adapted to be fixed thereto in different angular positions to suit the angular position of said rheostat with respect to said shaft, a. pivot pin supported at opposite ends between said latter arms, and a rigid operating connection between said pivot pin and said rheostat, said operating connection being adjustable axially of said pin.

11. The combination with a rheostat of an operating element therefor located to one side thereof a supportin shaft for said element, said element inclu ing an arm rotatably mounted on said shaft and a pair of arms located on op ite sidw'of said former arm and adapte to be fixed thereto in different angular positions to suit the angular position of said rheostat with respect to said shaft, a pivot pin supported at opposite ends between said latter arms, a rigid operating connection between said pivot pin and said rheostat, said operatin connection bein adjustable axially on said pin and means for retaining said operating connection in different axial positions on said pin.

, In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.-

HANS PETERSEN. 

